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Office Of Sustainability

Sustainable Cleveland Summit to be held October 16th at the Cleveland Public Auditorium

Since 2009, Mayor Frank G. Jackson’s Sustainable Cleveland 2019 (SC2019) initiative has engaged more than 15,000 people from all walks of life, working together to design and develop a thriving and resilient Cleveland region. Over the past ten years, SC2019 has supported collaboration and action to make Cleveland a greener, cleaner place to live, work, and play for all. From improved water and air quality to increases in bike infrastructure and clean energy, SC2019 has come a long way... but we know there's much work to do.

We invite you to celebrate the culmination of SC2019, honor the many people and organizations that have gotten us this far, and build off this foundation for even greater progress. The one-day Summit will go from 8am-5pm on October 16th, followed by an evening reception. The Summit will include remarks from Mayor Frank Jackson, keynote presentations, recognition and awards, facilitated discussions on key priorities going forward, and much more.

The Office of Sustainability leverages Cleveland’s wealth of assets by collaborating with the community to improve the economic, environmental, and social well-being of its citizens. Sustainable Cleveland 2019 is a 10-year initiative that engages people from all walks of life, working together to design and develop a thriving and resilient Cleveland region.

Those interested in biking to work now have access to bike storage and showers. Located at the Gateway Complex, the Bike Rack features room to store 50 bikes, showers and related facilities for commuters. Info at 216.771.7120

This document provides highlights of the Sustainable Cleveland initiative since 2009, when it launched. It includes a section on measured progress, and many snapshots of sustainability work happening in Cleveland.

Cleveland is the 13th city in the nation to receive recognition from STAR Communities for its participation in the STAR Community Rating System, which evaluates the livability and sustainability of US communities.

When the US pulled out of the Paris Climate Agreement in 2017, it became clear that leadership from local government, businesses, and civic institutions was needed more than ever. Mayor Frank G. Jackson, along with 400 "Climate Mayors" across the country, re-affirmed the commitment to climate action.

Progress has been made since the first Cleveland Climate Action Plan (CAP) launched in 2013. Carbon pollution has been reduced and water and air quality have improved while the economy has grown.The City has been recognized for supporting solar and wind energy. Over 70 miles of bike infrastructure has been installed and a bike share system was launched (UHBikes). The Cleveland Climate Action Fund supported over 50 resident-led, neighborhood-based projects.Dozens of organizations have implemented the Cleveland Tree Plan. Destination Cleveland reported that the number of Clevelanders who would recommend the city as a place to visit has more than doubled.

Despite this positive momentum, much work remains across all focus areas. From August 2017 to September 2018, the City of Cleveland led a community process to update its CAP. This update builds off the previous work by firmly establishing a series of cross-cutting priorities:

social and racial equity

good jobs, green jobs

resilience to the impacts of climate change

business leadership

This plan is about much more than climate change. The actions in this plan are meant to strengthen the economy, clean the environment, and improve the health and wellness of Clevelanders.The work must be done in a way that ensures that those most in need enjoy the benefits of climate action.

The Sustainable Cleveland Municipal Action Plan (SC-MAP) focuses specifically on municipal operations. The SC-MAP, in conjunction with the community-wide CAP, enables the City to lead by example while reaping the many known benefits of sustainability derived from increased efficiencies, reduced operating costs, and enhanced services.

Cleveland Energy$aver, which began as an EECBG program, is a turnkey, low cost, high impact residential energy efficiency package that can save homeowners $300 to $1,000 per year on their energy bills. The program is also open to landlords.

The LED Street Lighting Pilot helped determine which types of LED technology provide the best value (cost, energy savings, etc.) to the City.

The City purchased and implemented an Energy Data Management System (EnergyCAP) to better manage utility consumption and costs, while tracking reductions and cost savings resulting from energy and water efficiency projects.

The Office of Sustainability leverages Cleveland's wealth of assets by collaborating with the community to improve the economic, environmental, and social well-being of its citizens. To lead by example, the Office develops and implements policies and practices with City departments to embrace a culture of sustainability.